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Is Cracking UPSC As Hard As Vindu Vinod Chopra Portrayed In ’12th Fail’?

I am mother to a teen who will be appearing for her boards this year. While watching the movie “12 fail” I looked at my daughter who was busy wiping off her tears unable to bear the trauma the hero Manoj went through.

I think I must admit as I wonder why the luggage get robbed whenever someone lands from a village to a megacity. This film has no exception either. The protagonist Manoj lands up in Gwalior from his native only to find that his belongings had been robbed off by the woman who was sitting next to him. And then the usual melodrama. He spends three thirsty, hungry and sleepless nights at the station and then suddenly a Samaritan from nowhere offers him to appear for UPSC. And thus starts Manoj’s determination to crack the civil services examination.

He now lands up in Delhi, does odd jobs but the dream to crack UPSC never leaves him and that is absolutely okay. We all have dreams, don’t we? But why do we need to reveal so much suffering to get a place to sleep, eat and study? Not all candidates are that poor not to afford a good education. The film may have received 10/10 stars but my only concern still lies on the fact that film industry needs to showcase a poor, starved individual as the hero who defies all odds and then cracks the public service commission examination.

To be very honest nothing is as difficult or as struggling as always had been projected by these Bollywood directors. Can anyone survive a twenty hours struggle every day to clear his/her exams? The British did to us, Indians and now apparently the Indians are following suit and struggling their hours preparing for an exam. Why project a life so difficult? I took my daughter to watch the film for her motivation, instead she asked me a question “Mommy are we very poor? Do I need to study under street lamps to clear my exams?”

Yes I accept things are not hunky dory when it comes to some entrance tests but doesn’t Bollywood have any other way to deal with poverty and education? The same thing is applicable when someone wants to crack IIT, NEET and so on and so on and so on entrance tests. I have seen candidates appearing cheerfully and passing in flying colors without the need to please his/her boyfriend, girlfriend, parents etc.

Let’s tone down a little bit.

The cops are always shown corrupt. Trust me I too believe the same though this is not the truth. While clearing my passport police verification I felt I need to offer a hefty amount of bribe to the cops. Alas it was nothing of that sort. They were otherwise friendly. Do you think a nation will steer clear of thieves and goons unless we had honest cops amongst us?

Do you need to be an honest IPS officer to room clean the nation. And you know the answer. I am not denying that we shouldn’t be an IAS or IPS officer but there is no need to show such horrible stories of struggle, shame, deprivation and God knows what else.

Also a melodrama with the entry of the girlfriend Shraddha. The poor Manoj travels all the way to Missouri only to be rejected by her and then there is so much twist and turn to unite them again. I really lost my interest and to be honest I wished the film to end. This is no motivation. This cannot be motivation.

Yes, we had watched films on cracking these herculean exams and found this movie below average while dealing with the topic. I am sure my readers will not like me writing something against this particular movie. But I am sorry, this is exactly what I felt. And also acting of Vikrant Massey aka Manoj was average, nothing great to get a Bharat Ratna.

My only point is no matter what education should be taken as a sport. Not as a struggle. Clear your exams, be happy that you gave your best and that should get into the head of these Bollywood producers. No one needs to go through so much hurdle and agony crack an exam. And also our government is not that bad.

There are several schemes for the poor for funding their education and they are utilizing it. My cook’s daughter is now a CA. She has happily made it to success. Even I never force my daughter to study for twenty hours (she wants to be an artist and I am oaky) but of course I teach her moral values.

Pardon me I wish to end the essay with these comments that life is neither that hard and nor our exams. Be it any competition. If you take it easy success will definitely kiss you. Also Vidhu Vinod Chopra needs to know there are many avenues to portray poverty and not luggage getting stolen, sitting penniless for three nights and then gorging on food. Surprisingly no crease on the shirt of the hero.

Learn to be an individual with moral values. Yes I am including those below poverty lines too. Not all are that bad and there is no need to wipe tears watching an ordinary melodramatic movie. 

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